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You are here: Home / Ingredient / Chicken / Oven Baked Chicken Tenders

Oven Baked Chicken Tenders

Published: June 18, 2022 | By: Jordan

16.5K shares

This post may contain affiliate links which will not change your price but will share some commission. Please read my privacy policy.

Jump to Recipe

Have dinner ready in 30 minutes with this family favorite Oven Baked Chicken Tenders recipe; it’s an easy weeknight meal all will love.

Chicken strips are the ultimate finger food and these flavor-packed Oven Baked Chicken Tenders are no exception. These crispy tenders are perfect for lunch, dinner, and everything in between.

oven baked chicken tenders on a plate and a bite on a fork

Made with a seasoning blend of paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, brown sugar, and more, you won’t be missing the crispy coating of a breaded chicken tender.

Do more with chicken! Check out some fan favorites like this Strawberry Caprese Chicken Salad, Pesto Chicken Power Bowls, and Crispy Buffalo Chicken Salad!

Baked Chicken Tenders Recipe

Whether you call them chicken tenders, chicken tenderloins, or chicken fingers, this easy chicken recipe is a great way to enjoy juicy and tender chicken without the added calories of breaded or fried chicken tenders.

BONUS: these flavor loaded strips of white meat are kid friendly and a great main to a side of cheesy Grilled Cheese Roll Ups for a fun kids meal.

Looking for another cooking method to enjoy chicken tenders? Give these Air Fryer Chicken Tenders a try.

raw chicken on a plate, butter and paprika in small bowls

Ingredients for Oven Baked Chicken Tenders

Meat: you will need chicken breast tenders. If they don’t have chicken tenders, grab a pack of chicken breasts and cut them into strips when you get home.

Seasoning: we are going to be pulling out all the stops to achieve great flavor with these chicken tenders. You will need paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, fresh parsley, dried oregano, cayenne pepper, brown sugar, and a pinch of salt and pepper.

how to make oven baked chicken tenders

How to Make Oven Baked Chicken Tenders without Breading

1. Melt the butter. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Slice the butter into 1 tbsp cubes and place it in a shallow dish. Melt the butter by microwaving in 30-second increments.

2. Make the seasoning. In a small mixing bowl, combine the paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, fresh parsley, dried oregano, cayenne pepper, brown sugar, salt, and black pepper.

3. Season the chicken. Dredge the chicken tenders in the melted butter. Lay the coated tenders in a single layer on a baking sheet. Sprinkle the seasoning mixture over both sides of the chicken tenders.

4. Bake the chicken. Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the internal temperature has reached 165° F. When finished, garnish with fresh parsley if desired.

Recipe Variations and Substitutions

Butter: If you are looking to avoid dairy or added calories, you can swap out the butter for egg wash.

Seasoning substitutions: Italian seasoning and garlic powder make an excellent combination.

Breading: looking to turn your oven-baked tenders into crispy chicken tenders? Consider using panko breadcrumbs to make Panko Breaded Chicken, regular breadcrumbs, or crushed pork rinds.

What to serve with Baked Chicken Tenders

Sauce up your tenders with some of my favorite dipping sauces like BBQ sauce (or barbecue sauce), honey mustard sauce, Big Mac Sauce, or my personal favorite homemade Chick-Fil-A Sauce!

My favorite side dishes to serve with them are Avocado Corn Salad, Sweet Potato Cubes, Quinoa Apple Salad, or Air Fryer Vegetables.

green leafy salad on a plate with chicken tenders and a glass of water

What temperature should chicken tenders be cooked to?

Ensure your chicken is fully cooked by using an instant-read thermometer and making sure the chicken is cooked to 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

Eating undercooked or raw chicken is unsafe and can put you at risk for salmonella.

How to store leftover chicken tenders

Leftover chicken tenders are easy to store. Once they have reached room temperature, transfer chicken tenders to an airtight container and keep them in the fridge.

The leftover chicken tenders can be enjoyed the rest of the week for lunch, a protein-filled snack, or chopped up and cut into smaller chicken pieces and tossed on top of a salad.

Helpful Kitchen Equipment

Nesting bowls: for prepping, I like having a set like this on hand. The set includes a small bowl, medium bowl, and large bowl. One great prep set will take you a long way in the kitchen. However, it is also important to have a shallow bowl, like this. Shallow bowls make it season for rolling meat in seasoning or egg wash.

Sheet pan: these pans have so many different names. You might call it a rimmed baking sheet or even a cookie sheet; either way, when making baked tenders, you will need one!

Wire rack: this might come in handy to cool your chicken before serving. If I’m meal prepping, I like to cool the chicken until it’s about room temperature before transferring it to the fridge and storing it for recipes later in the week.

Other Easy Chicken Recipes You’ll Love

  • Buffalo Chicken Egg Rolls
  • Oven Baked Chicken and Cauliflower
  • Greek Yogurt Chicken Marinade
  • Creamy Chicken And Rice
  • Chicken Shawarma Bowls

WANT TO TRY THIS OVEN BAKED CHICKEN TENDERS RECIPE?

PIN IT to your chicken recipes, healthy dinner recipes, or meal prep recipes board to save it for later!
Find me on Pinterest for more great recipes. I’m always pinning!

oven baked chicken tenders long pin

Did you make this recipe? Post a photo on Instagram and tag me @JZEATS or #JZEATS so I can see! Leave a comment below and let me know what you think, too!

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4.91 from 100 votes

Oven Baked Chicken Tenders

Have dinner ready in 30 minutes with this family favorite Oven Baked Chicken Tenders recipe; it's an easy weeknight meal all will love.
Prep Time10 minutes mins
Cook Time25 minutes mins
Total Time35 minutes mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: baked chicken tenders, oven baked chicken tenders without breading
Servings: 4
Calories: 351kcal
Prevent your screen from going dark
Author: Jordan

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter
  • 1 pound chicken breast tenders
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 teaspoon brown sugar
  • pinch of salt and pepper

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350° F. Slice the butter into 1 tbsp cubes and place it in a shallow dish. Melt the butter by microwaving in 30 second increments.
  • In a small mixing bowl, combine the paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, fresh parsley, dried oregano, cayenne pepper, brown sugar, salt, and pepper.
  • Dredge the chicken tenders in the melted butter, then lay them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Sprinkle the seasoning mixture over both sides of the chicken tenders.
  • Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the internal temperature has reached 165° F. When finished, garnish with fresh parsley if desired.

Air Fryer Instructions

  • Preheat the air fryer to 375° F.
  • Place the chicken tenders in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Air fry for 5-6 minutes on each side.

Video

Notes

  • Store leftover seasoning in a small airtight container

Nutrition

Calories: 351kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 134mg | Sodium: 139mg | Potassium: 510mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1834IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 31mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information is approximate and was calculated using a recipe nutrition label generator.
Tried this recipe?I’d love to see your dish, mention @jzeats or tag #jzeats!
16.5K shares

Published: June 18, 2022 Filed Under: Chicken, Main Dishes, Whole30

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Juliane

    June 27, 2022 at 11:31 am

    5 stars
    I love chicken tenders and these were oozing with flavors!!!

    Reply
  2. Janessa

    June 27, 2022 at 11:55 am

    5 stars
    Yum! I can’t have bread so it was nice to find a recipe for baked chicken tenders without breading. And you don’t even miss it thanks to the tasty seasoning!

    Reply
    • Bea B

      February 11, 2023 at 11:19 am

      5 stars
      In the future if you want to coat something in breadcrumbs, try using crushed pork rinds as a substitute.

      Reply
  3. Cam

    June 27, 2022 at 12:28 pm

    5 stars
    I love how easy these baked chicken tenders come together! We made some homemade ranch to serve them with and everyone loved them.

    Reply
    • JZ Eats

      July 1, 2022 at 1:02 pm

      I love that!

      Reply
  4. Michelle

    June 27, 2022 at 12:59 pm

    5 stars
    My kids thoroughly enjoyed these chicken tenders and have asked me to make them again! Thank you!

    Reply
    • JZ Eats

      July 1, 2022 at 1:02 pm

      Aw I love to hear that!

      Reply
  5. Shweta

    June 27, 2022 at 1:19 pm

    So delicious! Can’t wait to make it again!

    Reply
  6. DF

    September 27, 2022 at 5:27 pm

    Can u marinate the tenders in Italian dressing then coat with the seasonings?

    Reply
    • JZ Eats

      September 27, 2022 at 5:30 pm

      Yep you can definitely do that

      Reply
    • Bea B

      February 11, 2023 at 11:23 am

      5 stars
      I marinated the tenders in buttermilk for about an hour before starting the recipe. How did yours turn out with Italian dressing?

      Reply
  7. ale

    October 4, 2022 at 9:14 am

    5 stars
    This recipe has been a really special recipe for me.
     

    Reply
  8. Robbie Angel

    October 21, 2022 at 4:19 pm

    5 stars
    These were as absolutely delicious. They had wonderful flavor and were very moist.

    Reply
  9. debbie M

    November 7, 2022 at 3:23 pm

    Can I cook these in a air fryer? And do you know the temperature and timing?

    Reply
    • JZ Eats

      November 7, 2022 at 3:25 pm

      Hi! Yes, they are so good in the air fryer. I suggest 375 F for 12-15 minutes, depending on how big your chicken tenders are. Make sure the internal temp has reached 165 F before removing from the air fryer!

      Reply
  10. Ilmu Forensik

    November 10, 2022 at 10:03 am

    How to get a very tender chicken taste?

    Reply
  11. Chelsea

    November 22, 2022 at 6:12 pm

    3 stars
    Tasty enough but we found these to be very wasteful on the butter! We could have easily heavily dredged with a quarter cup, and with butter being a fairly expensive ingredient these days, it’s sad looking at my bowl of raw chicken tainted melted butter left over.

    Reply
    • Bea B

      February 11, 2023 at 11:26 am

      5 stars
      I was short on butter, so, I soaked the raw tenders in buttermilk for about an hour and skipped the butter altogether. They were tender and tasty.

      Reply
    • Lyle

      February 26, 2023 at 4:59 pm

      Try using mayonnaise instead of butter, a little cheaper and you only use what you need.

      Reply
  12. Kampus Unggulan

    November 22, 2022 at 10:48 pm

    Wowwww… So delicious! wort it

    Reply
  13. zidane

    December 7, 2022 at 11:44 pm

    5 stars
    very clear and good article easy to understand. Thank you

    Reply
  14. Landa N

    December 9, 2022 at 4:05 pm

    5 stars
    So easy! So delicious!! My husband said, “Babe, you gotta print this one out!” and I did 🙂 Thanks!

    Reply
    • JZ Eats

      December 14, 2022 at 9:33 pm

      aww i love that!

      Reply
  15. Administrasi Bisnis

    December 27, 2022 at 10:52 am

    These crispy tenders are perfect for lunch, dinner, and everything in between.

    Reply
  16. Cristina

    January 1, 2023 at 6:31 pm

    2 stars
    Swimming in butter. So greasy. The flavor was good but all of that butter was unnecessary.

    Reply
    • Molly

      May 18, 2023 at 5:01 pm

      5 stars
      Butter is life you are wrong.

      Reply
  17. RPLA

    January 5, 2023 at 9:05 pm

    Chicken strips are the ultimate finger food and these flavor-packed Oven Baked

    Reply
  18. Bahar Jafari Zadeh

    January 7, 2023 at 6:06 pm

    5 stars
    I love the taste of it! I added reggiano and it came out great!

    Reply
  19. Lina

    January 17, 2023 at 10:31 am

    5 stars
    Hi Jordan,
    Thank you for sharing this recipe!! Made them last night and they were delicious!!! My family really enjoyed them! I will definitely make them again and again! I forgot to add the brown sugar to the bowl of spices and didn’t dredge them in butter; I just put a small amount of oil on the baking sheet and drizzled a little more on top of the coated tenders. YUM!

    Reply
    • JZ Eats

      January 17, 2023 at 3:01 pm

      I’m so glad you enjoyed! Olive oil is a perfect healthy swap!

      Reply
  20. Leslie

    January 19, 2023 at 4:40 pm

    5 stars
    This was so quick & easy & my family loved it. It’ll be a new go-to for us

    Reply
  21. Lisa

    January 25, 2023 at 12:15 pm

    5 stars
    These were amazing! I make a lot of chicken for my lunches but mostly sauté it. This recipe was so easy and delicious! Clean up was a snap too as I lined a baking sheet with foil. This will be my go to recipe when I need chicken quick!! Thank you so much!

    Reply
  22. Michelle

    January 25, 2023 at 6:10 pm

    5 stars
    This was delicious! The chicken was so moist. I only used a 1/4 cup of butter, but I should have followed the directions. It would have been nice to have the extra juice to put over my rice and chicken.

    Reply
  23. Yvette

    February 2, 2023 at 5:35 pm

    5 stars
    Excellent! My family, doing low carb, loves this. I used about 1 1/2 lbs of chicken and the butter/topping was perfect. Funny side note – the chicken was still cold when I dipped it so the butter started to coagulate. Lesson learned

    Reply
    • JZ Eats

      February 6, 2023 at 10:21 am

      It’s ok, it will melt again as soon as it goes in the oven 🙂

      Reply
  24. RPLA

    February 4, 2023 at 12:53 am

    Chicken strips are the ultimate finger food and these flavor-packed Oven Baked Chicken Tenders are no exception, my whole family loved them!

    Reply
  25. Deana Ralston

    February 22, 2023 at 11:02 am

    Do you know if you can use this on tofu? My son’s girlfriend is vegetarian and I like to make the same for her that we make for us. Just curious if you would know. Thank you!

    Reply
    • JZ Eats

      February 22, 2023 at 11:39 am

      I haven’t tried it with tofu, but I do have an air fryer tofu recipe on my blog that I love!

      Reply
  26. Jeannie

    March 2, 2023 at 11:39 am

    1 star
    Did not like the flavor.

    Reply
  27. Sains Data

    March 7, 2023 at 11:01 pm

    These chicken strips are the ultimate finger food and my whole family loved them

    Reply
  28. bks

    March 22, 2023 at 5:49 am

    everyone loved this!!

    Reply
  29. Sandy

    April 30, 2023 at 7:16 pm

    This was so easy!

    Reply
  30. Palm sugar

    April 30, 2023 at 7:17 pm

    This was delicious!

    Reply
  31. Donyale Mannino

    May 1, 2023 at 7:03 pm

    5 stars
    The chicken was so tender, juicy and tasty!! Very easy to make and it was a big hit with the whole family!

    Reply
  32. Dennis Muhammad

    May 5, 2023 at 11:50 pm

    5 stars
    I loved this so much!

    Reply
  33. Joy

    May 7, 2023 at 9:20 pm

    5 stars
    These are delicious. I have a family member that is allergic to oregano, but they were still good even though I left the oregano out. I didn’t have fresh parsley so I used dried parsley. They were still delicious. I am going to get fresh parsley for my next batch. I used the few left over tenders in a salad. These will be perfect to pack in a cooler and put in a fresh salad for picnics.

    Reply
    • JZ Eats

      May 7, 2023 at 10:20 pm

      Thank you so much, glad to hear you and the family enjoyed!

      Reply

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about meI’m that girl behind the camera and the creator of all the delicious recipes on this website. I’m a Baltimore food blogger who enjoys nothing more than food!
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